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Historical Background

United Empire Loyalists Landing at the Site of Saint John, New Brunswick, 1783.

Canada's political system reflects the two major foreign influences on the historical development of the country: on the one hand, its legacy as a former colony of Britain, and on the other, the powerful influence exerted by its neighbour to the south, the United States. Historically, the way the Canadian government evolved is partly due to its reaction to political development in America, where republicanism and other revolutionary ideas were used to forge a nation that was supposed to correct the imperfections and corruption of monarchic European society. "United Empire Loyalists" fled north, loyal to the idea of the British empire and hoping to build a British North America in what would soon be known as Canada. Their dream of a British North American which resembled the best of Britain did not come true.

In Britain, the central government in London wields most political power. Canada retained British structures, but it was impossible to recreate British conditions in a vast, unknown, unpopulated wilderness. Over time, strong provincial governments were persuaded to join into the Canadian "confederation", usually after the founding fathers in Central Canada promised to grant new members special favours. For example, British Columbia agreed to join confederation on the basis that the railroad would be extended all the way to the west coast. In the 1980s, when the federal government tried to save money by closing down little used rail services in the west, British Columbians fought back with the argument that their railway was protected by the Canadian constitution.

Provincial governments operate on the same model as the federal government at a lower level. Each province is led by a Premier, who is head of the provincial house, called the legislative assembly. Provincial governments have a great deal of power over controlling the local economy, and education and health systems. For example, China might be visited by trade delegations from a particular province as well as representatives of the whole country.

American ideas influenced the Canadian system to some degree. For example, freedom of speech and freedom of information are much more valued in contemporary Canada than they are in Britain, and these values owe much to the American protection of such rights. Nowadays, when Canadian society appears to outsiders to be so similar to American society at first glance, it can be difficult to capture the essence of what makes Canadian society feel different. The answer can in part be found in the two slogans which define the political aspirations of the two countries. While the United States was founded on the idea—Americans aspire to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"—Canadians chose to found a nation based on "peace, order and good government". In other words, for Canadians, the well-being and liberty of individuals must sometimes be sacrificed for the greater good of the community.

Canadians have settled for being a little less free than their American cousins. For example, the right to own and use guns is considered a fairly fundamental expression of freedom in America, even though guns are the source of much violence. Canadians prefer to do without this particular "freedom" because society is safer as a whole if individuals are not allowed easy access to firearms. Of course, some Canadians would prefer to have less government interference in such matters, while others would like to see more. But to date, Canadians have liked living in a society which allows a high degree of tolerance of different values and customs as long as the overall good of the community is not disturbed by them.

Trying to find a workable balance between community and individual rights has been the central concern of Canadian policy-makers. This problem is most obvious in the attempts to reconcile the two communities of English-speaking Canada and French-speaking Canada and most of Canadian politics is about finding a constitutional arrangement to satisfy the demands of Quebec, the home of most of Canada's French people, and the rest of Canada.

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